


Drunk Meetings

by emetoandotherthings



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alcohol, F/M, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Sick Character, Sickfic, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 22:08:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18352658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emetoandotherthings/pseuds/emetoandotherthings
Summary: Using a prompt sent in a message which was “drunk character”, so I’m using it to kind of give a bit of backstory (AKA the first time Eden met Eppie)!WARNING: Includes Vomiting





	Drunk Meetings

            Eden was pissed. Not in the intoxicated sense of the word, although he wanted to be. It was the last night of fresher’s week and Eden and Jude had planned that it would be their big night of the week. On moving to university they hadn’t planned to be in different halls, but that was just the way things worked out. Moving into halls meant meeting new people and making new friends – something Jude had always found easy, and Eden found difficult. So when he’d turned up to Jude’s flat, ready to go out, and discovered a bunch of other guys waiting to go with them, he couldn’t claim to be surprised.

            But he had been surprised when the second they arrived at the Union, Jude paired off with one of them – Mattie, a tall guy with big muscles he was showing off by wearing tiny shorts and a vest. They’d disappeared off into the mass of people squashed into the dance floor and Eden lost sight of them almost immediately. He’d tried to relax, hammering back the first beer that he’d bought, and trying to avoid the feeling that he’d been side-lined.

            He’d finished his first beer and bought a second before he saw Jude again, and this time it was with his face practically glued onto Mattie’s. Something hot and painful erupted in Eden’s stomach – he couldn’t pretend that seeing Jude with another guy didn’t hurt. His hand was trembling as he finished his second beer – and suddenly he didn’t want to be there. He abandoned his empty glass and fought his way out, the cold air hit his face. He’d pulled out his phone to text Jude, so that he ever detached from Mattie long enough, he’d know that Eden had gone home. A small, selfish part of him wanted his phone to ring – wanted Jude to tell him to come back and the rest of the night would be for them. But his phone stayed silent as he walked past chattering groups, obviously just heading to the Union in the first place. It was only just after midnight as Eden pounded along the darkened streets, heading home.

            He wished he hadn’t bothered coming out. Hell, scratch that; he wished he was drunk enough not to care. He cut across the back of the park – taking a newly discovered shortcut across the grass. It was dark, but he knew that trees grew on either side and there were a couple of picnic benches dotted along the grass.

            Eden walked quickly, until he heard a thud that sounded like glass on wood, the glugging of liquid and someone utter the single word: “Shit!”

            Eden had stopped in his tracks; someone was over in the grassy patch.

            “Hey? You okay over there?” He asked into the dark, taking a few cautious steps towards where the sound had been. He heard a rustling noise, grabbed his phone and turned the torch on. Only a few feet in front of him was a girl with long black hair and a pale face, she was wiping at her leather jacket and squinted when he shone the light in her direction.

            “Can you watch where you shine that thing?” She snapped.

            “Sorry,” Eden lowered the beam of light to the ground, still watching as she scrabbled in her pocket.

            “I spilled my vodka,” The girl mumbled, finding a packet of cigarettes in her pocket and pulling one out. Eden didn’t know why he was still watching her, but he couldn’t appear to move away. She placed a cigarette in her mouth and sparked up.

            “Oh…” Eden watched the small spark of orange light. “Are you okay though?” He had said before he’d even realised; she gave a small snorting noise, which Eden took to mean no. “Can I join you?” Again the words had come from him before he’d thought about them.

            “S’up to you,” Eden could hear now that her words were slurred.

            “Your cigarettes-” Eden started, taking a few steps towards her.

            “If you’re about to lecture me about smoking don’t bother.” She had perched back on the edge of the picnic bench.

            “I wasn’t,” Eden nearly laughed, he crossed to the picnic bench and sat on the edge himself. “I was going to ask if I could have one.” She laughed, then handed across her packet to him. “Thanks.” He accepted it, and lit one before passing them back. “I’m Eden.”

            “Eppie.” She replied, taking another draw of her cigarette. There was a silence between them as they smoked their cigarettes; Eden was still willing the phone in his pocket to ring, still angry at Jude. “So I’m guessing you’re having a pretty shitty night too.”

            “What makes you think that?” He asked, hearing a glug of liquid and a bottle being returned to wood.

            “You’re sitting out here in the dark rather than at the Union getting pissed.” Eden had to give it to her, she was dead right.

            “So are you,” he shot back.

            “Yes,” she let out a burst of smoke, “but as I said – shitty night.”

            “Do – do you wanna talk about it?” Eden asked, he felt slightly uncomfortable asking this girl to bare her soul only minutes after meeting her.

            “Not right now, no.” She said bluntly, “Tell me about your night. Want some vodka?” Before Eden knew it a glass bottle was being shoved roughly into his hand, he obligingly took a drink, wincing as the harsh liquid burnt his throat as he took a gulp.

            “You’re drinking straight vodka?” He coughed a little as he handed the bottle back.

            “Yeah, makes you forget quicker.” She took another swig. “So what, girl turn you down or something?”

            “No,” Eden sighed. “I was meant to be going out with my best mate, but when I turned up he’s got another guy who he’s snogging the face off.” Eden suddenly felt embarrassed, now _he_ was spilling his guts to this person he’d only just met.

            “And you have a thing for your best mate?” She asked abruptly.

            “No – I – what?” Eden spluttered. Was he really that obvious?

            “Most dudes are only too happy for their mates when there’s a chance of them getting laid,” she pointed out, “unless they like said mate themselves.”

            “I – uuh,” Eden tried to deflect by taking a deep draw on his nearly finished cigarette.

            “You don’t have to answer that,” she mumbled, lighting up another cigarette.

            “I think you hit the nail on the head,” Eden said, discarding his finished cigarette. “Why are you on a ‘down a bottle of vodka’ night?”

            “’T’s just life, settling in – all that shit,” She answered, “I’m not good at meeting new people.”

            “Me neither,” Eden mumbled.

            “I’ve always been a bit different and I thought university would be a good place for that, but at the moment everyone’s like they were back at home.” Her words were getting more slurred as she kept talking.

            “Well everyone’s a bit different,” Eden tried to sound reassuring, “and the whole settling in thing is difficult.”

            “Yeah, but I don’t mean different like everyone has their own quirky things…” She said scathingly.

            “What d’you mean then?” Eppie sighed, and the pause showed Eden that she was weighing up whether to tell him something or not.

            “I wasn’t born a girl.” She answered eventually. Clearly this was a big thing to her.

            “And?”

            “Most people tend to think that’s a bit strange,” She said.

            “Then they’re the strange ones.” Eden commented.

            “Yeah,” she took another drink. “I’m fed up with being the odd one like I was at home.”

            “I don’t think you’re odd.” In the darkness Eden could feel his cheeks burning.

            “Well thanks,” she mumbled, stubbing her cigarette out and sending orange sparks flying to the ground.

            “What are you studying?” Eden asked, he didn’t know exactly what else to say, but didn’t want Eppie to feel awkward.

            “Biochemical sciences,” she answered, taking another drink of vodka.

            “Really? So am I,” He wracked his brain to the introductory talk they’d had on Wednesday, he couldn’t recall seeing her there, but there had been quite a lot of people.

            “Oh fuck,” she hiccupped weakly, putting the bottle back down on the table.

            “What?” Eden asked, startled by how wobbly her voice suddenly sounded.

            “I think I drank too much…” Eden felt the table move as she shifted to the edge.

            “Do you need a help up to halls?” He offered, he couldn’t see her in the dark but he could hear her taking shaky breaths.

            “Nope, I think I’m gonna be – _uuurgh_ ,” Eden heard the liquid gurgling up Eppie’s throat, then the splat of the rejected liquid hitting the ground. She coughed and there was another burbling sound as she vomited again. Eden reached out his hand in the dark and found her shoulder – she was trembling, but he couldn’t tell whether that was from puking or just from the cold.

            “I’m – _urp_ – I’m sorry,” she forced out.

            Eden realised he was shaking his head even though she couldn’t see her: “No, it’s okay. Don’t be sorry.” He rubbed his hand across her back, feeling the muscles tense underneath his fingers.

            “Oh god…” She retched again and it didn’t sound like she’d taken a deep enough breath before she was puking again, sounding almost like she was choking for breath.

            “Please don’t die on me here,” Eden muttered, almost instinctively.

            “That I can promise,” she replied when she’d finished, spitting onto the ground. “God I’m so sorry…”

            “Stop apologising,” Eden told her firmly. “I’m glad someone is here to make sure you’re alright. We’ll wait until you’re done, then I’ll walk you back up to halls.”

            “You don’t need to –“ she started, but Eden cut across her.

            “I want to.” Then he added, “But humour me, I want to check you get back okay.”

            “I think I’m good then,” she said, moving to get down from the table.

            “I’ve got your vodka for you.” Eden grabbed the bottle from the table top and held out his arm. “Here, take my arm.” Her fingers felt like ice as they gripped around Eden’s wrist. Slowly he began to take small steps, giving her enough time to keep her balance.

            “Oh god I’m such an idiot,” she mumbled again; she must be feeling embarrassed.

            “It’s okay.” Eden reassured, they were almost at the pathway now, the streetlights’ glow making thing easier to see. Eppie’s thin face was sheet white, framed by her long dark hair. “Okay, just up these steps and we’re nearly there.”

            He took one step at a time as Eppie didn’t seem to be quite as dexterous as he was; but when they reached the top of the stairs she let go of his arm. Her other hand had pressed to her stomach, and she appeared to be quelling another wave of nausea.

            “Sorry,” she mumbled again, her free hand hovering in front of her face as her shoulders jerked as she repressed the urge to gag. It was too strong for her though, as she pitched forward belching up a small stream of liquid. She seemed to know she wasn’t finished as she braced her hands on her knees. Eden took a step to her and, cautiously, began to rub circles on her back. Her eyes were closed as he heaved again, then a wet burp escaped her and a fountain of liquid poured from her. She gasped for breath before another wave forced its way out, splashing onto her shoes as it hit the ground. Eden could only marvel at how much she must have drunk. Another smaller burp echoed out, but there didn’t seem to be anything left in her to bring up.

            After a few seconds of panting she straightened up: “I’m definitely done now.”

            “You feel up to walking again?” Eden asked, she nodded. “Come on then.”

            They weren’t more than three hundred metres from the hall entrance now, so Eden fished in his pocket to find the key. The warm air of the foyer was welcome after the cold night air; inside Eppie looked much paler and frailer than before.

            “What number are you?” Eden asked.

            “Fourteen,” she said, “Just along here.” She began walking along one of the corridors, searching in her own pockets to find the key to her room. “This one.” She stopped at the door with a brass ‘14’ and struggled to make the key fit in the lock. Eventually she got it in and turned it, shoving the door open with her shoulder. “Thanks for bringing me back.”

            “That’s okay,” Eden said as she sat down heavily on her bed. “Are you gonna be okay?”

            “Yeah,” She started pulling her shoes off. “I’ll just sleep it off.”

            “Here,” Eden had glanced around the room and found her rubbish bin, moving it to the side of her bed. “Just in case.”

            “Thanks.”

            “Do – do you mind if I check on you in the morning?” Eden asked, feeling his cheeks tint again. “Just to make sure you’re okay.”

            “Yeah, that’s fine.” She smiled, running her hand over her face.

            “Okay, right, sleep well.” He moved to leave.

            “Thanks again Eden,” she said, just as he was about to close the door.

            “You’re welcome Eppie.”


End file.
